


seeing that sunlight hit your eyes

by thecoloursneverfade



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Fluff, M/M, scavenger hunt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-19
Updated: 2016-06-19
Packaged: 2018-07-16 00:15:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 18,551
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7244518
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thecoloursneverfade/pseuds/thecoloursneverfade
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>Louis follows Harry, landing on sandy beige paving that frames the pool, a sign to his left about pool safety, and Louis wants to laugh at the irony because he's going to be naked and in a pool with naked Harry and he is going to die. </i>
</p><p>  <i>The water is lit up blue, reflecting the neon lights of the motel, a light mist settling around the far edges from the early morning fog, ripples sending smoothly over the blue tiles at the bottom, and Harry is to his left, already unbuttoning his shirt, and yes, Louis is definitely going to die.</i></p><p>(or: uni au where the boys meet due to an overnight scavenger hunt.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	seeing that sunlight hit your eyes

**Author's Note:**

> I wanted to write something set over the course of one night and this is the result??
> 
> These are some of the songs that inspired me to write this so give them a listen if you wish:  
> Kids – Hedley  
> Millionaires – The Script (hence the title)  
> LAF - Broods  
> Dreaming's For Sleeping – Hedley  
> Youth – Troye Sivan
> 
>  
> 
> Thanks [Tori](https://andthecollisionofyourkiss.tumblr.com) for the idea & reading over this for me, you're the best :)
> 
> find me here: [tumblr](https://thecoloursneverfade.tumblr.com)

**_ OVERNIGHT SCAVENGER HUNT _ **

_Calling all first year students! Are you interested in a night out with a complete stranger doing some of the best, worst and weirdest things of your life? Or are you interested in winning a solid prize pack that includes all of your student needs? (Which, lets be real, you so are) then you’re in luck!_

_The annual first year scavenger hunt is upon us, sending you on a wild ride all over the city completing crazy, hilarious, mentally scarring and possibly dangerous tasks should you choose to accept. There will also be prizes for the runners up, so make sure you sign up your dorm before the end of the week!_

_Here’s how it goes…_

_You will swap dorm mates with a different dorm room on another floor which will be selected by me, and they will become your partner for the hunt._

_The hunt will begin at 8:30pm on Friday on the quad, where you will meet your teammate and get your list of tasks, a digital camera, some cash and a sharpie pen. It will conclude at the same place when the last team arrives – lets hope that team isn’t you!_

_You must take photographic evidence of every task being completed – or video evidence if required. _

_The tasks do not have to be completed in order, but all have to be completed if you want to be eligible to win._

_Aside from the tasks that state you and your partner both have to take part, you must take turns completing them, for example, you cannot do two in a row._

_And most importantly, remember to have fun!_

_Best of luck! Your RA, Liam Payne._

. . .

“We’re not doing it.”

“We’re doing it.”

Louis shakes his head. “No. Definitely not.”

Niall doesn’t look discouraged in the slightest. He sits down on Louis’ bed and gives him a sideways look, like he knows – he fucking _knows_ he’ll break him. “You’re just scared I’ll beat you.”

Louis deadpans a stare. “You aren’t getting me like that.”

Niall grins, already looking pleased with himself. “We could make this interesting?”

Louis rolls his eyes with a sigh. “Whatever do you have in mind?” he asks with fake interest, like he doesn’t already know.

Niall taps his fingers along his closed lips, and then raises his eyebrows. “Whoever loses has to clean the entire dorm room for every room inspection for the rest of the year. Spotless. Including under the beds.”

Louis’ brows furrow as his eyes scan their room, worthy of the hazardous waste sign Nick thought would be hilarious to attach to their door. Louis couldn’t really argue when he did, but it wasn’t entirely laughable either, their room is filthy.

There are piles of dirty laundry grouped at the ends of the beds, empty take out cartons and pizza boxes on every bare surface, screwed up pieces of paper litter the floor surrounding Louis’ desk from late nights working on assignments that have been and gone.

Niall’s side of the room is covered in dusty stacks of CD’s, records, his haphazard collection of band memorabilia, sheet music, two used bowls that have been sitting next to his bed since, quite possibly, the beginning of time, and his guitar, which is placed neatly in the corner.

Louis’ side isn’t much better; he has too many books for his bookshelf so he’s resorted to stacking piles around his bed, which makes getting in and out of it quite the challenge. Notes and postcards from his sisters hang all over his walls, as well as a slightly torn _Back To The Future_ poster that’s barely holding on.

And it always smells a bit funky, Niall claims it’s the aroma of creative minds at work. Louis can’t help but disagree.

“You’d actually clean the _uncleanable_ room?” Louis asks in disbelief.

Niall smirks. “Well, who’s to say it’ll be me? Besides, this is the only way the room is really going to get cleaned and Liam is sort of pissed with us since the last inspection was such a bust, some extra motivation might be good.”

Louis groans. “I cannot believe I’m actually considering this,” he lets out another exaggerated sigh. A prize pack _would_ be lovely to wave in Niall’s face, and having a room that doesn’t reek of leftover pizza and stale coffee would also be a nice change. Still, “I don’t know, Ni. I heard he got people to streak down Main Street last year.”

Niall beams. “All the more reason in my opinion,” he nudges Louis playfully, “might even make a _friend_ ,”

Louis quirks an eyebrow. “Okay, first of all, _that_ is not a priority of mine, and second," he turns to him with a conniving smirk, "I like my books stacked in alphabetical order.”

It takes Niall a moment but then his mouth twists into a wide, squinty-eyed grin. “I love you, and I’m going to destroy you.”

Louis huffs indignantly. Or, tries to anyway, his annoyance is sort of diminished by the smile on his face. “C’mon then, shake on it, mate.”

Niall reaches out and takes Louis’ hand in his own, and he shakes it. Louis hopes to God he doesn’t regret it.

. . .

**[08:00pm]**

“What time is this thing supposed to start again?” Louis asks impatiently.

“Still got, like, thirty minutes.” Niall says, tearing at some of the grass next to him. “Getting nervous?”

Louis scoffs. “For you, maybe.”

Niall quirks an eyebrow dismissively and then returns his attention to the grass.

Louis isn't nervous, he doesn’t _get_ nervous, that’s like, not a thing that's possible.

He looks up at the sky to distract himself, it's almost fully dark now, streaks of navy blue fading over the remnants of the sunset, but surprisingly warm. They’ve been sitting on the lit up quad for half an hour because Louis needed to scope out the competition, and his possible future teammate. It turns out his entire building is almost here, and he only knows a maximum of seven people. Which he is actually quite astounded by.

Everyone is just hanging about at the moment, and Liam is up the front sorting through a bunch of papers and drawstring bags with Jordan. Louis’ already tried to get him to spill the dorm he and Niall will be switching with, even offered sexual favours, but that just seemed to earn him a disapproving stare much to his surprise, Louis is a catch, in his own modest opinion. So instead, he’s been trying to guess for himself, or moreover, he’s been shamelessly judging everyone from a distance.

Nick and Ed are there, but Liam knows that they know each other so that’s out of the cards, there are a few girls he doesn’t recognize, aside from Eleanor and Perrie, and then several other nameless faces. He sighs and leans his head against Niall’s shoulder.

“What’s the matter babe?” Niall asks, not really paying attention.

“Liam hates us, he’s going to put us with terrible people,” Louis groans.

Niall gives his shoulder a pat. “He doesn’t hate us, we’re like the brothers he never wanted,”

Louis snorts, his countenance brightening enough for him to resume being not at all nervous.

“All right! Gather round everyone!” Liam shouts out over the quad.

Louis and Niall get to their feet and walk up closer, everyone forming a sort of half circle crowd around Liam who is standing in front of a table covered in rows of drawstring bags that Jordan is finishing up filling with their provided items.

Liam claps his hands together, looking so excited it’s almost concerning. No, it is _definitely_ concerning. “All right, it’s almost eight thirty so let's get started– bloody hell, boys, I nearly started without you!” He shouts, looking over the crowd.

Louis turns his head towards where Liam is looking, and sees two boys strolling over, one with dark raven hair, in a leather jacket over a tattered band shirt, his face neutral and composed, with quite possibly the best fucking cheekbones Louis has ever seen _._ The other one looks a bit more animated, smirking, and fuck – there's a dimple, bright eyes and long, long legs, a tacky flower print button up, left unbuttoned enough for Louis to get an eyeful of his collarbones and the smooth outline of his chest, Jesus _who is he???_

And okay, Louis might inhale a little at the sight of him – or both of them for that matter. But the way they’re casually sauntering over makes Louis almost rolls his eyes just for the sake of it, they look so fucking _lazy._

“Sorry, Li. Slept in, and this one hates running so,” Tall boy shrugs, grinning.

Liam sighs heavily and just shakes his head. “It’s fine, Harry.”

 _Harry._ Good to know. Still, unbelievably lazy. Louis does _not_ want to be a partner to either of them, especially pouty-leather-jacket-dude who doesn’t like running; they’re definitely going to be running.

They’re standing a couple of meters away from Louis and Niall in lazy stances, Harry has a hand on the other ones shoulder, leaning onto him. Louis wonders how this boy could have been living so close to him for almost a year and he didn’t even know.

“ _Anyway_ ,” Liam says, and Louis tears his gaze away from the boys. He shouldn’t still be looking anyway. “I’m going to call out the paired up dorms and assign your partners, and once everyone’s with their teammates you’ll get one of these,” he holds up a piece of paper in his hand, “these are your tasks,”

“I hope he’s one of the tasks,” Louis hears a girl standing in front of him whisper to her friend, followed by hushed giggles.

Oblivious Liam continues, “– and a bag containing everything you’ll need but don’t open it until the hunt officially starts. A quick reminder that some of tasks are quite risky so please be safe – but the prize is _really_ good, so you know, its up to you how bad you want it,” he smirks, “so here we go!”

He begins with Nick and Ed’s dorm, and puts them with two guys Louis’ never seen before from a floor below them, and then he splits them into pairs, and Ed hugs his partner like they’re old friends. Louis feels ill. He's _not_ nervous though, nope, no way.

Liam calls out more dorms, more people Louis doesn’t know, and some he’s seen around but never paid much attention to. Eleanor and Perrie get called up eventually, and the crowd starts to dwindle down until it’s just Louis and Niall, and three other pairs. Including the beautiful but terribly lazy super models that have resulted to sitting on the grass, legs outstretched and leaning back on their hands because clearly standing is too much effort. And _of fucking course_ it’ll be them. That would just be Louis’ luck that he’d be put with the two people who look like they’d rather be watching the stars and getting high than actually taking it seriously. Of course.

“Dorm 2-11,” Liam calls, and _fucking finally._ Louis and Niall walk over to him and Louis sits up on the, now almost empty, table next to Liam, his legs had gone stiff from standing too long.

Liam reads his list. And Louis prepares himself, he watches the two boys, his heart racing a little faster in his chest, which is stupid, so stupid. He catches Harry’s green eyes and see’s the beginning of a smirk form on his lips, he feels hot all over and immediately looks away. God, he's in trouble.

“Dorm 4-18,”

And just like that, the two boys start to move. Louis closes his eyes and sighs.

They walk over to them, and as if Louis could stop himself, he unintentionally lets his eyes wander over Harry’s body as he nears him. Really just to see how fit he looks––in terms of his actual _fitness_ levels of course, for speed purposes if they were paired together. And yeah... he's – he's good.

Liam turns to them, grinning like he knows something they don’t. “All right, Harry and Zayn meet Niall and Louis,” he says, pointing between them. “Zayn, you’re with Niall, and I’m sure you can figure the rest out. Well, I hope so anyway.”

Louis makes sure to glare at Liam before he glances at Harry who’s –– he's giving him a once over. Eyes flickering over the entire length of his body, and Louis feels sparks of warmth shoot through him as if he's physically feeling the gaze. And like, Harry doesn’t seem like the most motivated pick of the bunch, but then again Zayn seems even less motivated so maybe that’ll slow Niall down. Besides, Louis might be faced with a bigger problem, like how he’s going to be able to focus on anything else when Harry is right there with him for however long this takes.

Louis lifts himself off the table, checking behind him to see that Niall has turned away, already introducing himself properly to Zayn. Okay then, the game really has begun.

He smiles almost uneasily at Harry, who’s still looking at him intently. Which. Okay.

Jordan hands them their bag and they walk off to the side near some of the other pairs while Liam sorts out the last two teams.

“So, Harry, right?” _Clearly_ he’s already forgotten. So smooth.

Harry nods slowly, God everything about him is so _slow_. “Lovely to meet you, Louis.” He tilts his head a little and Louis knows he isn’t imagining the way his eyes drift over him again. “Have you seriously been in the building this entire time? I swear I would have noticed you.”

Louis fights his smirk; he refuses to let this boy distract him. “So what are you studying?”

Harry leans with a hand on his hip. “Photography,”

Louis raises his eyebrows. “Well, this should be right up your alley then,” and he grins and lifts up the bag holding their camera, “make sure to get my good side,”

Harry raises his eyebrows, seeming almost taken back but grinning wide and eyes sparkling against the dark sky. He looks like he’s about to respond when Liam speaks,

“Okay! Now that you’ve all introduced yourselves, it’s almost time to start. A word of advice – though it is completely optional I would suggest you don’t go through the tasks in order, and spread yourselves out from the other teams because well, its just more fun that way. Remember to take turns with each task, and of course, have fun.” Louis rolls his eyes. “Okay, it’s time, go for it!”

**[08:30pm]**

Harry takes Louis’ hand just after Louis has slung the bag over his back, which is definitely a shock.

“Come on, Louis!” he shouts excitedly, smiling wide and he starts running, which leaves Louis with no choice but to follow.

Everyone is leaving in different directions, quickly as well, and Louis’ following the floral shirt and long hair blowing behind it. He’s faster than he looks, even with those long legs, but Louis keeps up easy enough and he starts smiling too as they run off of the quad and onto the footpath out the side of the campus, illuminated by streetlights.

Harry stops and drops Louis’ hand, chuckling almost. Louis gets the bag off his back and opens it, they both lean in to inspect the contents, and just as Liam had stated, there’s a zip lock bag full of the appropriate amount of cash to complete certain tasks, a sharpie pen, a digital camera and the paper with their list on it. And two small water bottles, because everyone knows Liam likes to keep hydrated. Louis glances up, noticing how close they are and he shifts back.

Harry reaches in and pulls out the paper. “Okay, do you want to just pick a number and start from there? It’ll make it more fun and spontaneous.”

Louis nods. “Uh… twenty three?”

Harry nods, and glances down at the paper. “Get a business card from an unusual business,” he reads.

Louis frowns, they just happened to have run out into the most suburban area surrounding the campus, there are literally no businesses for at _least_ a twenty-minute walk.

“Well, hey,” Harry says, looking behind Louis and stepping past him.

Louis turns and walks with him, spotting a purple van parked outside a house with someone carrying boxes into the back of it. “What is that?”

Harry shrugs. “Got a hunch,”

Louis frowns in confusion, but as they near the van it becomes obvious. On the side is a picture of a terribly happy smiling straight white couple and the words ‘ _Wedding Wagon, Sidewalk Ceremonies, Welcome to you!’_

Louis groans. “Jesus Christ. Really? I thought these things only existed in Vegas,”

Harry grins pleasantly at him. “You want to take this one?”

Louis purses his lips. He goes to speak but then– “unless you’re a little nervous, I’m pretty good at convincing people to do what I want,” Harry says, sounding irritatingly smug as he does so and Louis squints at him. So, it’s kind of a challenge now.

“I’ve got this, thanks for your concern,” he says flatly.

Harry smiles, seeming pleased with himself and as they approach the van, the man in the white polo with the name _Alan_ embroidered on it stops packing up from a ceremony he just performed and turns to them, smiling politely. “Hello, can I help you boys?”

Louis inhales a deep breath, puts on his best smile. “Hi, sorry to bother you, I’ve read about your services and I’m really interested.” He’s really not.

Alan beams a toothy smile. “Well, we are a mobile wedding service, we try to make tying the knot as easy as possible for out clients, and,” he leans in, arching his eyebrows slightly, “we are very open to all kinds of relationships,” he says closely, looking as though he thinks he’s doing the world a big favor.

Louis has to bite the inside of his cheek to stop the laughter bubbling at the back of his throat; he glances up to see Harry physically covering his mouth in the most casual way possible.

“Thank you for that,” he manages.

Alan smiles, looking all too excited with the prospect of marriage. “Let me guess,” he points at Harry, “you proposed?”

Harry drops his hand from his mouth, a wry smile working its way onto his lips and he nods while running his hand through his hair, the other squeezing Louis’ shoulder. “I did, it was wonderful, he cried for _hours_ –“

“Okay, I don’t think he needs the whole story,” Louis chuckles, subtly jabbing Harry hard in the ribs with his elbow. “Do you have a business card we could hold onto?”

Alan nods and digs through the front of the car, coming back with a purple business card. He hands it to them and Harry puts it in the bag on Louis’ back, pulling out the camera. “Can I get a photo of you two in front of the van? So that we remember,” Harry says.

Alan agrees and Louis tries not to have such a bitter smile when Harry takes the photo.

23\. ~~Get a business card from an unusual business.~~

“So that was horrific.” Louis says once they’ve walked far enough away.

“I thought it was fun.” Harry says, half smiling, his voice light and playful.

Louis blinks for an awkward second before remembering that he has bigger purposes in life than wondering what the fuck kind of planet dropped this dimpled mop of curly hair into his world.

“What’s next?” Louis asks. “You pick the number this time,”

Harry squints into the distance, tapping his fingers over his closed lips. “Six.”

Louis scans down the list, his eyes catching on the word _banana,_ god knows what that’s about but he is definitely going to kill Liam.

Luckily, number six is innocent enough.

“Find someone with a foreign drivers license.” Louis reads.

“Oh!” Harry bursts, loud in the quiet street. “I know someone,” and he’s taking Louis’ hand again and running back onto campus, a whoosh of air getting pulled out of his lungs from the unexpected movement.

They’re at the dorms when Harry slows to a walk and Louis twists his hand out of his grasp.

“Warn me the next time you’re going to do that, yeah?” Louis grumbles, catching his breath, coming out like puffs of white smoke even though it’s not too cold, early spring, and yet he’s feeling warm against everything else.

Harry glances at him, the boy looks fucking radiant in the moonlight, faded yellow from the outdoor lamps bleeding onto his features. He brushes back his hair with his fingers, slightly windswept. “Sorry. Just really want to get this done quickly, told Zayn I’d do his laundry for a month if he beat me,”

Louis quirks his mouth. “Good. So we’re in the same boat then,” he says, noticing Harrys questioning expression, “Niall and I have a bit of a bet going as well, so – yeah.”

Harry smiles delightedly. “Good. So lets win this then,” and he knocks on a door that Louis hadn’t even realized they’d stopped at.

There's nothing at first, just a long silence.

He taps on the door with his knuckles a couple more times and there’s a low murmur on the other side, and then the unmistakable sound of someone banging into furniture as footsteps near the door.

It swings open, and on the other side is a man loosely gripping a sheet around his waist, his skin shining in a sheen on sweat and his face flushed, chest rising in heavy pants. Louis' cheeks burn instantly, god, he feels like a _kid._

The stranger frowns at them. “Harry?”

Harry leans on the doorframe, seeming amused as he takes in his friend. “Diego! Hey…”

“Hi.” Diego says, and Louis notices the hint of an accent. He's clinging his sheet tighter from where it hangs loosely around his waist. Louis diverts his eyes. “It’s um, it’s always good to see you, Haz, but right now isn’t a good time.”

“Yeah. Sorry for interrupting. Need a small favour,”

“Who is it, D?” Someone murmurs from inside the room.

A female voice. Oh boy, did they seriously interrupt this guy and his girlfriend? Shit, Louis’ face shouldn’t be burning like it is.

Diego glances behind him quickly, and then rubs the back of his neck. “Can it wait? Like, till tomorrow… afternoon-ish? Sorta busy here.”

There’s more muffled murmurs coming from the dark room, a male voice as well. Okay. Yeah, Louis’ cheeks are definitely burning.

“I can see that.” Harry says, seeming unbothered. “This’ll take, like, two seconds.”

“O-okay.” Diego flicks Louis a glance. “Who’s your friend?”

“This is Louis.” Harry says easily. “So, do you have your drivers license?”

“Yeah. I’ll just… get that.”

Diego returns a few hurried seconds later, holding his license in his hand.

“Hold it up for me, yeah?” Harry says and wraps an arm around Diego’s bare shoulders, smiling at the camera as Louis snaps a picture of them.

“Got it.” Louis croaks, slipping the camera back into his bag.

6\. ~~Find someone with a foreign drivers license.~~

Diego looks at them. “Okay, so…”

“You aren’t going to ask why we needed that?” Harry asks.

“Nope, no. Glad I could help with your weird nighttime excursions. See you ‘round, Harry.” Diego says quickly before hastily shutting the door on them, an unmistakable squeak coming from the other side of the wall.

Louis clears his throat, following after Harry down the hall.

“Interesting friend.”

Harry glances at him. “Hm? Oh, yeah Diego’s great. I mean, he does actively participate in threesomes but people like what they like,”

“So do you actively participate in those too?” Louis asks stupidly, cursing himself as soon as the words leave his mouth.

Harry doesn’t seem to notice, just chuckles, dimpling. “I’ve known you barely an hour and you’re already asking me the threesome question?”

Louis shrugs. “I like to know the important things about people,”

Harry laughs this time. “That’s clearly very important,” he says, tucking a loose hair behind his ear, “well, might as well try everything once,”

And okay.

Louis gulps. “So, next one?”

“Right.”

He holds out the list. “You pick.”

“Okay. But you can’t get mad if it’s difficult.”

“I’ll try my hardest.”

Harry smirks, covers his eyes with his hand and blindly drops a finger down onto the paper.

. . .

 **[09:18pm** **]**

“This looks–“ Louis grips onto the windowsill, feet balancing carefully on the ledge. “–a lot easier in movies.”

“I believe in you!” Harry yells from below.

“You think you’re helping, but you’re not.”

They’re on the side of the science building, Louis scaling the side of it like some fucking super spy, in order to climb through an open window. As he grips to the white windowpane on the edge of brickwork, he can picture Liam, the evil mastermind that he is, coming up with obstacles to make each of these more difficult than they need to be. Granted, he's only two levels high, but he did have to manoeuvre some rickety fencing to get up here, with assistance from Harry's shoulders.

“Give me a yell if you think you’re going to fall,” Harry says, more serious now.

“And what, you’ll catch me?” Louis says with a strained laugh.

“Hey! I will!”

“Sure.”

Louis finally pulls himself in the window, expecting the floor to be closer than it is and collapsing in a heap, he curses quietly when he gets to his feet. The room is faded into a dull grey, untouched as far as he can tell. Meaning, hopefully, no one else has done this task yet. His eyes wander over workbenches and hanging lab coats, and in the corner, his gaze catches on a skeleton.

“There you are,” he says to the holes in the skull where eyes would be. He makes his way to the door and unlocks it, pulling it open.

Harry is standing in the doorway with his elbow leaning against the doorframe, his left boot tucked behind his right ankle. "Did you fall over when you climbed in or was it a graceful landing? Be honest."

"I'm always graceful. Obviously."

"Obviously." Harry repeats, quirking his mouth and stepping into the room, the heels of his boots echoing a little. “Sherlock Bones I believe?” he addresses the skeleton.

Louis snorts and shakes his head helplessly. “Just take the picture, yeah?”

Louis gently drapes his arm around the skeleton, and Harry snaps the picture.

2\. ~~Pose with the science lab skeleton, his name is Sherlock Bones.~~

Louis pats the skeleton on the top of its skull. Good Sherlock.

“You two look great together." Harry says, standing close behind Louis, and it takes Louis an awkward second to realize what he's doing until he slips the camera in the bag on his back.

Harry pulls on the drawstrings and Louis twists a small glass beaker in his hands. "Isn't this like, breaking and entering?"

"Mm." Harry says noncommittally, lifting a vial of liquid and squinting at it before putting it back down. "It's a little _dangerous,_ even."

Louis sets the beaker down, grinning, looking at the shadows from the window frames that paint across Harry's skin, his collarbones where his shirt is left open, the sharp outline of his jaw. He looks away. "I'm getting shivers thinking about the science students busting in here with their Bunsen burners and safety goggles."

"Hey. Don't mock safety goggles."

Louis holds the door open for Harry, a half smile as Harry steps past him, a sort of careful hop in his step like he's trying to be quiet. Louis rolls his eyes and twists the lock on the door, closing it behind them.

Their next task involves them posing with a mannequin in a window display, which leads Harry to believe that Liam has some weird fetish with inanimate objects. They find their way to the local shopping centre, stopping every few minutes because Harry has his head tilted upwards towards the sky in awe and keeps tripping over his own feet on the pavement, but he doesn’t care because: "the fucking _stars_ Louis, look at them!" and Louis shakes his head and says, "they're there every night, you know," but somehow still ends up with his hand on Harry's lower back, guiding him along the footpath while Harry's eyes glow and he gushes about the moon.

There's still a surprising amount of late night shoppers and movie-goers wandering about at the shopping centre, and they survey a men's clothing store, Harry claps his hands together excitedly and whisper-shouts, "we could crawl through the air vents like proper spies – dude, we're Charlie's Angels," to which Louis rolls his eyes and nods towards the opening next to the window display, "or we could just use the door?" Harry simply looks disappointed as his gaze follows Louis' eyes, "that’s no fun."

26\. ~~Pose with a mannequin in a window display.~~

The photos turn out hilarious, and Louis fully intends on getting these from Liam once this is all over – student memories and all that shit, he's not being a creep to want to keep photos of Harry doing a series of awkward prom poses with male mannequins. Granted, it didn’t last very long before the employee caught on. They're legging it out of the store, laughing like maniacs while Louis carefully manoeuvres around the tables in the food court and Harry apologizes to the people whose chairs they're knocking into.

Louis' knees are shaking for some reason when they get outside, he doesn’t know why they're running so much, the adrenaline is making his heart feel weird. He feels short of breath.

They somehow end up back at uni, soft flare of yellow streetlights glowing in the dark, Louis climbing up onto the old bronze statue that sits in the front entrance, encircled by the pristine cobblestone path and gripping vines and greenery. Dark, quiet buildings and Harry's wolf whistling as Louis places a quick kiss to the statues lips, truly hoping he is the first one to do that as he wrinkles his nose and wipes the back of his hand across his mouth.

4\. ~~Kiss the statue of the school founder on the lips (like you mean it!)~~

. . .

**[10:10pm]**

"Thank you for your cooperation, greatly appreciated." Harry says to the three strangers they found outside a Jazz bar, they smile and wave as they go back inside probably wondering what the fuck just happened.

7\. ~~Form a human pyramid with three other strangers.~~

"Look, Lou, we're flying through these." Harry pops the cap back on the pen.

Louis can't help but smile at the nickname as he dusts off the knees of his jeans, smoke butts litter the ground, music flows out of the purple lit building, music and voices. "Ah yes, six out of thirty. We're doing great." He's being sarcastic, but Harry is still bursting with enthusiasm.

"We're doing fucking awesome. Next step is to take over the world." Harry beams, they fall into step together, Louis hides his hands in the sleeves of his hoodie.

The footpath winds around a water fountain, Harry closes his eyes for a moment as the wind blows mist from the water onto his face, some of it touches Louis' cheeks and it feels refreshing, cooling his skin.

He looks down and taps at the task that contains _McDonalds. "_ This one next, I'm hungry."

"You're catering these to your specific needs. Selfish."

"I'm the most selfish, no argument there,"

Harry tips his head back and smiles, the lights from the blue fountain fading out behind them.

. . .

**[10:22pm]**

Harry is adding in the rest of his details to the McDonalds job application form as Louis pays for his order across the counter. He's scribbling down his details, leaning on his forearms, his arse bent outwards, long legs in tight black jeans, eyes filled with adorable concentration. Louis walks over and stands next to him, leans close and peers at what he's writing.

“Harry _Styles_. That’s seriously your name?”

“Yes." Harry glances at him. "What?"

"Nothing, just – _Styles_ , sounds a bit like a–"

"Don’t you dare say 'stripper name.'"

Louis grins. "Okay, I won't say it then."

Harry shakes his head, the corner of his lips tugging upwards as he writes.

"Is Harry short for Harold? Because that sounds considerably less like a stripper name."

"No. God, no. My sister used to call me Harold when she'd tease me, drove me mad."

"Harold suits you though, you've got to admit." Louis says, nudging his shoulder into Harry's gently.

"No, no it does not."

Louis smirks and Harry finishes filling in the form, handing it back to the employee who says something about having a strange amount of applicants tonight, she hands Louis his order and they head outside.

9\. ~~Apply for a job you don't actually want.~~

5. ~~Get yourself a happy meal from McDonalds.~~

Louis takes a bite of his cheeseburger, holding it out for Harry. "Want some?"

Harry shakes his head. “Vegetarian,” he says, and dips his arm into the brown grease-stained paper bag and pulls out the fries instead.

“Really?”

“Yeah, does that surprise you?”

Louis reaches over and grabs a couple of fries. “S’pose not. You do have that 'hippie, world peace' thing going for you."

"That’s a gross generalization," Harry says, licking salt from his fingers. "But yeah. You're right."

"Guess I don’t really know much about you though.”

Harry looks at him. "Hm. I guess not."

. . .

 **[10:33pm** **]**

“Twenty.”

“Huh. I'm twenty one.”

“What do you do for fun?”

“Why are you smirking like that?”

“You can’t answer my question with a question. That’s not how the game works, Louis.”

Louis rolls his eyes, tightening his grip on Harry's shoulder as he balances on the edge of the curb. “I write a lot. I know that’s lame, since I’m doing an English degree and all we do is read and write, but I really like it. I don’t know.”

“It’s not lame. I bet you’re amazing– no, wait. I know you are.”

Louis smiles down at the ground. “I like to skate as well, used to play footie before uni took over my life.”

“Think you’ll get back into it?”

“Whoa, hey. That’s more than one question.” Louis says, mock appalled at Harry’s bad _twenty questions_ etiquette.

Harry grins, raising his hands. “Fine, fine.”

Louis smiles down at his Vans steadying along the edge of the pavement. “So… what about you?”

“Can’t come up with your own questions?” Harry says, smirking.

Louis looks at him with an expectant half-smile, raises an eyebrow, keeps his hand where it grips onto Harry's shoulder.

“Well," Harry starts, as if he's about to say something life changing. "I do enjoy taking photos. Which, yeah, photography student so it’s obvious. I’m a bit of a free spirit as well, I take a horticulture class, I did a bit of political science and sociology because I thought it could get me into something where I could make a difference. That’s still a work in progress. I like to go on Sea World protests– why are you laughing?”

Louis breathes through soft chuckles. “I’m sorry. I just... where have you been all my life?”

Harry raises his eyebrows and bites his lip in a smile. “Two floors above you, it would seem.” Louis looks back down at his feet, imagining how the colour of Harry's skin changes when they pass streetlights, pale and shadowed to golden, reminiscent of a sunrise. His hair brushes against Louis' hand on his shoulder when he turns to look at him. “Hey, that was another question. You’re cheating.”

"Sorry, sorry." Louis smiles, suddenly finding it harder to breathe.

"Um... Where do you see yourself in five years?"

Louis laughs. "This feels like a job interview."

" _Louis_ ,"

"I don’t know, I try not to think about the future too much or I'll get all existential. I mean, I think I'd like to be a teacher. I like the idea of being someone that does something positive for kids – teaches them to be nice and creative and like, _themselves, y_ ou know? Educate them on the important things, and about treating people right. Hopefully have written a book of some sort." He shrugs. "I like to think I'd have a place with someone nice but truth be told I'd probably be living on Nialls couch."

" _Ooh_ ," Harry coo's, nudging Louis playfully in his side. "Someone nice, huh?"

Louis chuckles once, cheeks flushing. "I'm sorry, I don’t believe you get another question."

"You're literally the _worst."_

"I know. So." Louis presses his lips together as he contemplates. "Okay. What is something about you that would surprise me?"

"Ooh, interesting question." Harry says, kicking a stone out of Louis' way with the toe of his boot. "Um. Fuck, I don’t know. It seems to surprise most people when they find out I turned down Oxford?"

"You what?"

Harry laughs, soft. "So, you too then."

"You got into Oxford?"

Harry nods casually. "Law."

Louis notices how Harry is looking down as he walks, smiling, but his eyes are shielded by his lashes. "Why did you turn it down?"

"You're not playing the game properly." Harry says, matter-of-factly.

"I– um– right." Louis says, tilts his head forward. "Anyway, we're here."

The fluorescent lights of the supermarket seem to take Harry by surprise even though it’s big enough and somehow they didn’t notice until now. The black sky shimmers with stars, cut off when they step through the sliding doors and head past a few aisles until they find what they need.

“I can’t believe we’re doing this.” Louis groans.

“ _We_ _?_ I do believe this is my task.” Harry says, eyes scanning the shelves and double-checking on the scavenger hunt list, reaching forward and grabbing the dark purple box. “Besides, this is just another grocery trip for me,”

Louis rolls his eyes, refusing to blush. He takes the list from Harry’s hand, reading over it. “We could probably take out two here, I’ll meet you at the checkout?”

Harry nods, and strolls off, a box of extra large condoms in his hand.

Louis watches him round the aisle, and then counts the coins in his hand, heart fluttering in his chest as he grabs the bottle off of the shelf.

Harry is standing at the checkout waiting patiently, having paid already. His eyes grow wide when Louis slides the bottle of lube onto the counter along with their change, cheeks filling with colour, a dimpled smirk spreading across his face. He lets out a hoarse chuckle and Louis can't help but laugh as well as the slightly disgruntled and tired cashier starts to count through the coins. Louis suspects they aren't the first ones to come through here tonight.

14\. ~~Buy a pack of extra large condoms.~~

21\. ~~Buy something using half of the coins provided.~~

The brisk air outside kisses Louis’ burning cheeks.

The silence draws out for a moment, their arms brushing as they walk, and Harry speaks, “so we have lube and condoms. What are you trying to tell me, Lou?”

Louis smirks, winks at him, then points towards a small garden gnome sitting in a flower patch spreading beneath a mailbox. “You should take that.”

Harry's brows furrow, confused, streams of yellow light casting across his face. “Hm?”

Louis taps at the list.

“Oh!”

Harry steps onto the front lawn of the sleeping home and picks up the gnome, it's got a chip in the corner of it's boot, a shiny pink porcelain hat slightly dusted in dirt. Harry holds it in front of his face and focuses his gaze, serious. “I will return you, I promise,” his voice is overdramatic, and Louis snickers, rolls his eyes and Harry slides the gnome into the bag.

10\. ~~Steal something from the front yard of a suburban household.~~

. . .

**[11:04pm]**

“ _I… can be… your hero…”_

20\. ~~Serenade a stranger with _Hero_ by Enrique Iglesias.~~

Louis releases the girls’ hand as she looks at him with slightly dazed eyes and pink cheeks, her friends gushing with “ _aww’s”_ and Louis, surprisingly enough, doesn’t even feel uncomfortable. He usually would, but Harry is standing behind him, hand over his mouth and Louis knows he’s struggling not to laugh. This was Harry’s idea anyway, they went to a heavily populated part of town and stumbled upon a group of girls leaving a club, both of them seeing it as the only opportunity to complete this task without getting a black eye. At least.

“I think I’m in love with you,” the girl says, and she’s drunk so Louis knows she’s not serious.

He blinks then starts backing towards Harry. “I’m flattered, love, but I’m gay as fuck. Thanks for letting me serenade you!”

Louis giggles as he turns around and they head down the street, fairy lights drape across the middle, he actually feels high. Wow.

"What’s next?” He asks, feeling his hand brush against Harry’s.

“You’re gay?” Harry asks instead.

Louis looks at him. “Huh? Oh, um. Yeah,” he suddenly feels hot all over, realizing that he’s known Harry a few hours and already outed himself, he's almost forgotten that they just met. “That okay?”

"Louis, yeah, of course that’s okay. Not that it matters, like, whether or not I think it's okay, you do you, love is love, you know,"

"Right – I mean. Yeah. Cool."

"Cool."

Pink and blue fairy lights hang across the sky above them, and Louis catches Harry out of the corner of his eye, becoming coated in soft purples.

"I completely forgot to compliment you on your singing!" Harry says passionately. "You have a great voice, I don’t blame that girl for falling for you, wasted or not,"

Louis laughs. "You're ridiculous."

"Nah." Harry shakes his head, smiling. "I could fall asleep to your voice, it's lovely."

Louis’ breath catches in his throat, but he also wants to laugh because Harry is the biggest – and most _attractive_ dork he’s ever met. He goes for the latter. “Well you know where to find me."

"Okay."

“Okay.” He glances down at the list. “Well we’re already by a Laundromat, care to join me on some late night laundry adventures?”

Harry flattens his hand on his heart. “Thought you’d never ask.”

They step into the Laundromat, ugly white walls only lit up by flashing neon lights every colour of the rainbow, Louis gets the coins ready to go into the machines.

“Okay so we have to–“

His breath catches before he can finish.

In the time it takes him to blink, Harry is opening the remaining buttons of his shirt, slipping it off of his shoulders and throwing it into a washing machine. Louis looks at him, doesn’t even think about being subtle when his eyes drop, his gaze roaming over the places his hands are itching to touch, Harrys expanse of toned muscles artfully decorated in tattoos, the curves in his hips, ferns inked onto the skin there, the waistband of his jeans hanging lower than Louis could have guessed. Holy shit.

“Um–“ Louis clears his throat. “Um. Yeah. So, wash and dry one item. Which– you’ve got that covered then.” He gives him the coins.

Harry giggles, green eyes glancing at Louis flirtily before shifting his gaze to the washing machine. It fills with water and soap and it rumbles and spirals, sort of entrancing. Harry lifts himself up on one of the unused machines, and Louis sits next to him, there's a small gap of space between them, but he can still feel his warmth.

“So.” Louis says, toying casually with the hem of his shirt. “Why did you turn down Oxford?”

Harry lets out a heavy sigh, not annoyed though, or bothered in the slightest. Just contemplative. “It’s not much of a story, honestly,” he says. “Mum was an artist, and one of those extreme environmentalists. She had this little rusty caravan that her friends painted murals on, and she met my dad at a music festival, you know the kind where everyone would smoke pot and make love and feel free."

It sparks something in Louis hearing Harry say the words _make love._ If it was anyone else he’s sure it wouldn’t have that effect on him.

Harry takes a breath, a sort of shudder of emotion in there, but his voice is alive with fascination. “When I was younger, Gemma – my sister, and I would travel with her while dad was on business, he’s a lawyer.” Harry chuckles softly. “Weird mix, yeah? But he loved her. They were some of my best memories, actually. She bought me my first camera when we were on the road, at this little store that sold mosaic art and hand painted surfboards. I don’t think it was for sale, I think the owner just liked her a lot. She had that affect on people."

Louis smiles, feeling lighter even though his chest is clenching. “Sounds like it.”

Harry smiles softly, swinging his feet slowly so that the backs of his boots would lightly hit against the machine. "Lost her when I turned fourteen, she was out diving on a rehabilitation mission and got caught in a current. Pulled her under." Louis looks away, but his fingertips find the top of Harry's hand next to his thigh. "She loved the ocean, so like, it's the best place for her. But at the start it tore a hole in me, and I worked really hard after that, barely even went outside and my life was nothing but class work and focusing on getting into a good school. Gemma was already following in dad's footsteps so I thought I should too, and I got into Oxford."

"I met Zayn just after high school finished, at a protest, of course. He had like, ripped jeans, messy hair and a hand painted banner, reminded me of her, in a weird way. Reminded me of myself, or – who I was when she was alive, I guess. I looked at where I was headed and I just… I woke up. Dad was disappointed but I gave it a few weeks and he understood, he said I had her spirit. So we’re good now.” He exhales, smiles, finally looking at Louis. “So that’s that."

Louis’ heart pounds in his chest. “You were right, not much of a story,” he says, sarcasm heavy on his tongue, and thick with emotion. Harry chuckles. “Really though, that’s wonderful. And impressive. Both, getting into Oxford and choosing not to go, I don’t think I’d be able to do that.”

“I think you’d surprise yourself.”

Louis glances back at the soft green eyes watching him, fond, so fond, he wills his chest to slow down a little because he barely knows Harry, and yet he's sitting there half-naked and telling him these things and Louis thinks he might pass out. It's strangely exhilarating; he can feel it buzzing beneath his skin.

As if sensing Louis' tension, the washing machine beeps, splitting the room in half.

“Done already?” Louis pulls his hand back onto his lap.

Harry lifts himself off, getting to his feet, and pulling the damp shirt out of the machine. “Liam didn’t say how long, so I figured a quick wash would do the job.”

They make sure to take photos for Liam, and then Harry puts the shirt into the dryer, both sitting back down. Louis keeps on breathing. He wants to talk more, really, because Harry is weird and wonderful and Louis finds it strange that he exists on the same planet, strange and unfair, he shouldn’t want him like this, not really. This shouldn’t be possible.

Of course, the glass door opens, and in walks Niall and Zayn.

“Oh, look who it is.” Louis says menacingly.

“Zayn.” Harry greets, doing his best at being hostile. It isn’t entirely successful when he pulls Zayn into a side hug, and Zayn doesn’t even seem to question Harry's naked chest. They have an interesting dynamic, Louis thinks.

Niall looks at Louis suspiciously. Louis wonders how he’s not distracted by Harry’s... _Harry_ -ness. “You’re not doing these in order are you?”

“No.” Harry answers him.

“Shit.” Niall curses under his breath.

Louis hits Harry softly with the back of his hand. “Harry, don’t tell them our game plan.”

“Sorry.”

Niall snorts. “Mate, I love you, but Zayn and I have this in the bag.” He takes off one of his quirky socks covered in illustrations of pizza slices and throws it into the machine.

“Now you just look weird.” Louis says, glancing down at Niall’s one bare foot.

“At least I won’t be cold.” Niall eyes Harry's chest, Louis wonders if his heart beats a little too fast looking at him too, the Irish lad seems to be breathing normally though, Louis is only the tiniest bit envious.

“I’m not cold.” Harry says, brows furrowed.

“Any opportunity for H to take off his clothes and he goes for it, should’ve warned you.” Zayn says to Louis, sitting on the machine across from them and next to Niall, he takes off his leather jacket and lays it across his lap. His arms are covered in art, swirls of black and red, flowers and drawings and words, Louis refrains from squinting to examine each of them.

Harry frowns. “Don’t taint Louis’ opinion of me, Zayn.”

“You do that on your own, right?” Zayn grins.

Harry glares, but he’s clearly not bothered at all. He looks at Louis. “You still like me right?”

“Who said I already did?” Louis teases, bumping his shoulder with Harrys when he pouts. “I now have the knowledge that you parade around naked, so yeah, we’re good.”

Harry chews on his pretty little lip slightly, goosebumps spreading across his bare skin, visible for Louis to see.

Louis catches Niall's eye, glancing between them. He shoots Louis a look, questioning, but the kind that probably wouldn’t mean anything to anyone else, and Louis simply shrugs in response.

Niall clears his throat very unnaturally. "Okay. So. Competition aside, how are you guys doing?"

Louis squints. “You’re trying to find out what we’ve done already.”

“I’m not! Just making friendly conversation.”

“I don’t trust you.”

“Hey, I’m not–“

Their dryer beeps, and Louis lifts himself off of the machine. “Not another word, Ni.”

Niall rolls his eyes. “Whatever.”

3\. ~~Wash and dry one item of clothing (that you are currently wearing) at a Laundromat.~~

Harry slips back on his shirt, much to Louis’ dismay, and they head towards the door, the quiet street, black skies and street lamps ready to greet them again.

“Enjoy the rest of your night!” Harry calls back to Niall and Zayn as he holds the door open for Louis.

“Harry! You’re the worst at being a sore winner, you know that?” Louis mutters to him, turning around to yell: “go fuck yourself, Horan!”

“You’re a piece of shit, Tommo!” Niall yells back. “I love you!”

“I love you too!”

The door swings closed, glinting off of bright green fluorescent lights behind them as they make their way down the street, he meets Harry's amused eyes. “You two are weird. I like it a lot.”

Louis smiles pleasantly. “Thanks? I think.”

“How long have you been friends?”

“Since we were ten.” Louis says, and Harry is looking at him like he expects him to continue, so he does. “We met on a summer camp, we actually fought the entire time but then I lost a Spiderman t-shirt that I really, really loved and Niall bought me a new one. Suddenly we were best mates, because kids are weird and stupid and that’s just how you make friends apparently.”

“That’s sweet.”

“Yeah.” Louis says. “Course, later on he told me that he stole my shirt and was too afraid to give it back. But I loved him too much by then so,” he shrugs.

Harry laughs. “That’s kind of really smart though.”

"Well Niall is a fucking genius, actually." Louis chuckles. "He's this really brilliant, multi-talented little shit. Seriously, he got accepted into a handful of amazing universities and yet he decided to follow me, god only knows why."

"Well, hey, it’s a gut feeling. I'd follow you."

Louis smiles, his gaze falling to the ground, doesn’t feel the need to respond –– or like he is really able to. It's then that he realizes his feet are moving and they've been walking for a bit without having any proper direction. “So– um. What’s next?”

“Oh! Right.” They stop walking so Harry can fish the list out of their bag, he lets his finger fall on a number, he reads it. “Steal a street sign. And we get extra points if it has some significance but I–“

Louis stops in his tracks and it nearly causes Harry to trip over, he clears his throat and glances up, Harry follows his eyes, gaze stopping on the sign above them.

_Harold St._

Harry gives him a dead look. “You’re an arsehole.”

Louis laughs. “C’mon, this is funny. Now help me up there, I have to get it down.”

Harry huffs. “All right. This is stupid though, just so you know.”

Louis flashes him a cheeky grin and then turns his attention back to the sign, analyzing how high he'd have to get in order to get it down, rolling up the sleeves of his hoodie as some form of preparation. He's not sure if that was necessary but he doesn’t exactly go around stealing street signs, would his sleeves get caught? How far would he be able to run if a police car came around the corner? How quickly would Harry break in confinement?

His completely logical train of thought is interrupted when he feels long arms wrap around his waist from behind, lifting him up, the ground disappearing from beneath his feet. "Whoa, shit," he says, watching as the streetlamp lit road falls away and the sign is suddenly within his reach.

“You’re pretty light, Lou. But like– hurry?” Harry says from behind him, his face a little muffled in the fabric of Louis’ clothes, he can feel the tip of Harrys nose against his lower back, the warmth of his breath radiating through his shirt. He wills himself to breathe, keep on breathing.

Louis laughs shakily. “Right.”

The sign is old, rusted around the brackets securing it in place so Louis manages to hoist it up easily enough, a few strong tugs to loosen it and he wrenches it out. “Got it.”

Harry lowers him back to ground level, he feels odd and strangely light when his feet hit the pavement, and Harry slowly releases him from his grasp, carefully, his hands taking their sweet time to slip away from his waist until there's nothing but the heat lingering there. Louis steps aside, brushing off his shirt for no apparent reason other than his own awkwardness. His skin feels warm now, heat prickling along his neck, and he slips the sign into the bag.

16\. ~~Steal a street sign – one with significance for extra points!~~

Harry coughs, reminds Louis of the kind of cough made to fill the silence. “Right. So, that was good. Yeah. Quick.”

Louis shoots him with a finger gun. “Your turn next, Harold.”

Harry glowers at him, pressing his lips together to fight a smirk. “Call me that again and I’m leaving.”

Louis grins, deciding that teasing this boy is his new favourite thing. “Harold is a cute name! You suit it, actually.”

Harry pauses, narrows his gaze and makes a show of turning on his heels as he walks off in the other direction.

Louis dips his head back and laughs, making a weak sound of protest as he hurries after Harry and wraps his arms around him. Harry lets out a startled noise and falls into laughter as well as Louis pulls him back.

“You’re such a brat.” Louis mumbles happily into his shoulder blades, against the fabric of his shirt. Harry continues to giggle. “Don’t leave me, please. I hate being alone and I’m becoming terribly accustomed to your company. I’m sorry. I’m sorry…”

Harry’s body trembles with silly laughter and he turns in Louis' arms, glancing at him where he’s backed up against the pole previously belonging to the street sign stashed away in their bag. It’s empty now, serving as nothing but a support to stop Louis from collapsing completely. Harry is looking at him, close, deep in thought, a soft half-smile resting on his lips. He leans in slowly, almost tentative, and he kisses Louis on the cheek.

“Such a sap, you are.” Harry mumbles quietly against his skin, before bursting out into laughter again.

Louis rolls his eyes and drops his arms, pulling out the list to find their next task. He picks a number and then surveys their surroundings to see if it’s doable.

“You’re going to hate me for this, but it appears we don’t have much of a choice.” Louis says. “Now, hop to it, Harold.”

. . .

 **[12:12** **am]**

“This isn’t a good idea, Lou. I am not coordinated. Like, at all.”

He's standing in front of a basketball hoop, light fog clinging to the ground around it. They were lucky, being in the same vicinity as the local school, Louis managed to shimmy through the busted window of the sports equipment shed and get them a basketball. Not so lucky that it was Harry’s turn, however.

“I can’t do it, I’m crippled.”

“You’re fine.”

“I’m sixty-five years old, physically incapable, botox works wonders,”

Louis rolls his eyes theatrically. “Harry, there won’t be another basketball hoop for miles, it’s not that hard.”

“I’m sure that means a lot, coming from you. Mr. _I played football._ Bet you got all the ladies with your mad sports skills.”

“Did you miss the part where I’m _gay_ –“ Louis shakes his head. “Also, just because I played football doesn’t mean I have _mad sports skills_. Niall used to play and I’d practice with him sometimes. And don’t you sass me, Styles.”

Harry grins and raises his hands in defeat. “Okay, okay.”

“You’ll be fine, I’ll help you.”

He meant it really just to reassure, maybe boost Harry's confidence, but as it turns out, there isn't a huge amount that Louis can do to help him dunk a basketball. It takes exactly twenty-seven unsuccessful tries for Harry to collapse in defeat. Louis puts the camera down after having to capture the video evidence, instead he just has twenty-seven videos of Harry failing spectacularly.

Harry's got his back on the concrete, eyebrows pinched together in frustration and his hands flattened on his panting stomach.

Louis lies down next to him, pressing his lips together so that he doesn’t laugh, his head unintentionally nuzzling against Harry's shoulder, eyes on the stars. “You weren’t kidding. You’re terrible.”

He feels Harry tilt his head to look at him. “… Fuck, I can’t even argue with that. I told you!”

Louis laughs. “Keep trying, love. You’ll get it eventually.”

“Nah. Think I might just stay here. We’ll drift up to the stars, right? Find us a new planet. And then Niall and Zayn won’t even be able to cash in on the bets, it’s a solid plan.”

“You’re right, it is.” Louis says. “Thing is, I kind of am looking forward to seeing Niall’s face when we win, and you don’t strike me as the type to give up this easily.”

“You’d be surprised.” Harry says.

“Nah, don’t think so.” He notices a stream of headlights from a passing car, and breathes harder, looking up to the blue dark. “What if I reward you afterwards?”

There’s a beat of silence.

“Like?”

“Like, whatever you want.”

Another beat.

“So… so, if I wanted to kiss you, you’d let me?”

Louis swallows hard.

“Is that what you want?”

“If it were, hypothetically.”

“Hypothetically, if that’s what you wanted,” Louis breathes, “then yes.”

They stay how they are for a moment longer, Louis feeling his heart beating louder and louder, his breath coming out hotter until it's sending out streams of white into the cool air. And then Harry is getting to his feet swiftly, reaching his hands out to pull Louis up as well.

Louis gets to his feet, eye contact unwavering. Harry rips away from his gaze to find his discarded basketball, and Louis almost forgets to pull out the camera.

It only takes Harry three tries to get it this time, and Louis cheers like a maniac when he does. As if it’s some massive achievement, and it sort of is.

25\. ~~Dunk a basketball.~~

“Proud of you,” he says, and is only a tiny bit shocked when Harry pulls him into a hug.

His chin presses into the curve of Harry's neck, body fitting snugly against his own and he can feel the muscles of his stomach tensing, shifting against him. Louis can’t help but feel secure even though his thought process is all over the place and going a million miles per hour. Is Harry going to kiss him? Was that just a joke? Would Louis even kiss him back? He barely knows him. Or. Okay, he does know him better than he should, considering it’s only been a few hours. Shit, how would he even react?

Louis enjoys his warmth though, intends on saving it when it’s gone. Harry pulls away only slightly, keeping most of their fronts pressed together where they are, and his gaze is close, the corner of his mouth turned up slightly, eyes dreamy and sure and beautiful.

Louis watches as they fall to his mouth, and linger there, before climbing back up again.

Yeah, Harry might kiss him.

And Louis would definitely kiss back.

His body physically pauses. The ground feels uneven.

And then,

“Saving it.” Is what Harry says instead, and he steps away completely and picks up the basketball, turning away to take it back to the equipment shed.

Louis swallows, wonders when his throat got so dry. He quickly hurries after Harry before the darkness swallows him up, the excitement under his skin has been slightly replaced with something else.

He thinks it might be nerves.

. . .

 **[12:57** **am]**

They’ve easily avoided most of the other teams up until this task, finding their way back to the supermarket, they decided to cross something off the list that Louis has been wanting to do all night.

He claps his hands together excitedly. “Fuck yes! Trolley surfing. Liam knows the way to my heart.”

“Trolley surfing is the way to your heart?”

“Yes. And expensive liquor, if you’re taking note.”

Harry snorts. “You’re ridiculous.”

There are a few other teams who chose to do this task at the same time as well, and Jordan is leaning against the one lone car in the parking lot with a camera in his hands.

“Hey, Jordan. What are you doing here?”

Jordan waves the camera around. “Liam’s getting me to film the teams doing this one so you don’t drop the cameras or anything.” He lifts up the grocery bag on the bonnet of his car. “Also got me to do the shopping for the week, you know.”

“Lucky you.”

Jordan smirks, rolling his broad shoulders back against the car, looking up at the sky with dreamlike eyes. "The things I put up with for that boy," he says, "you guys should get yourself a trolley, this'll be easier to film if you do it in a big group."

Louis notices a trolley half hidden behind Jordan's car, grabbing it just as another hand wraps around the other end. Niall.

“Um.”

Louis stares at him, then his gaze flickers to Zayn standing off to the side, half-smiling at them, and back at Niall, his archenemy for the next few hours. “I got this first.”

“No, I did.”

“No,” Louis says. “No, you fucking didn't, go get your own.”

“Or you could do that because I definitely had my hand on this first.”

“Oh my god," Zayn groans. "Who cares? Let's just get another one, Niall.”

“It’s the principle, Zayn.”

"Yeah, _Zayn_." Harry says amusedly, he leans his forearm on Louis' shoulder as Zayn rolls his eyes.

Louis hopes he isn't blushing as his grip tightens on his trolley, for the sake of pride and being a shit to his best friend. “There's no principle in being a wanker – oh and, I had it first."

Niall fights a smile. “Fuck you, Tommo. Oh, and no. You didn’t.”

Louis huffs, leaning back against Harry. “Okay, out of the way–“

Niall quickly lifts himself up on the sides of the trolley and swings his legs over before Louis can move, sitting himself inside and grinning up at him smugly.

Louis blinks, drops his hand, while Harry starts laughing to his side, shuddering against him.

“You’re a fucking menace, Ni.” Louis says.

Zayn chuckles and starts to push the trolley away with Niall in it. “See you on the other side, babes!”

Louis flips him off as Harry disappears from his side.

“Hey,”

He turns at the voice, and Harry is wheeling a trolley up to him, stopping when he gets to his side, leaning his forearms on the handle, eyes soft, mouth slightly curved. "Your chariot awaits."

Louis smiles and clambers into it, resting his back against the end and his hands wrapping around the sides. Harry leans down, his face right next to Louis’ ear. “Where to, miss?”

Louis grins at the reference, Harry is a stupid _Titanic_ -watching giraffe and Louis is completely, _completely_ enamored, and fairly certain he’s found his soul mate. His body floods in goosebumps, his voice comes out in a whisper little to his own control. “To the stars.”

Harry beams and wheels Louis towards the end of the car park where Niall and Zayn are laughing about something, Perrie is tying up her hair and searching for something in the bag on the curly haired girls back, Eleanor is climbing into her trolley, her hair is dripping wet and so is her team members’, Louis wonders what that's about. Nick and another boy are down the end of the line, the boy Louis doesn’t know is standing up in his trolley and tying his hoodie around his neck to make a Cape.

“Is this going to be a race?” Louis asks once they're in line with everyone.

“Wouldn’t be much of a race." Eleanor says. "We’ll destroy all of you.”

“Jordan, you need to stand in the middle with some flags.” Nick says, grinning.

Jordan glares from where he's leaning against the car.

Louis stands up in his trolley.

“Okay then, everyone ready?” he looks over at the four other teams, who nod back at him, then at Harry, then ahead. “Three… Two… One. Go!”

He almost gets knocked backwards when Harry starts to run, pushing the trolley down the empty car park alongside the others and quickly picking up speed. Louis feels the wind pick up and whip his hair back, laughter bubbles through his chest and he shifts his stance to get better balance as they speed along the uneven terrain.

Louis can see Niall in his peripheral, a few steps behind them. The other teams keeping their pace, everyone laughing with a weird sort of ecstasy that seems to be filling the air. Nick's partner opens his arms wide and lets out a loud cheer as the nighttime air whips his makeshift Cape back behind him, sending the earth and the wind back. Louis feels it too, he can hear Harry laughing, shouting something to Zayn but the wind is blowing too loud in his ears and everything else is muffled. He feels his own hoodie billowing back behind him, sees the end of the car park near him and they’re at the head of the group.

Then, out of nowhere, Perrie and the girl with curly hair overtake them, crossing the line at the very last moment.

“Motherfucker!” Niall curses, appearing just behind Louis and Harry.

“Where did you come from?” Louis shouts at the girls.

Perrie grins happily and climbs out of the trolley, pulling her partner into a sideways hug. “Excellent running Jade.”

Jade laughs. “That’s what we call _strategy_.”

Louis sits back in the trolley. “We were a close second.”

“Actually," Nick says, short of breath. "I believe that was us.”

“We’re all aware that the race doesn’t actually matter, right?” Zayn chimes in.

“You’re only saying that because you lost.” Harry grins.

Louis laughs, and Niall snickers, crossing his arms and leaning back. “We had a defective trolley.”

“Excuses, Niall.”

“Reasonable, too. Look at these wheels.”

Louis rolls his eyes, a warm flush spreading through his cheeks. “Anyway, as nice as it would be to stay and chat, I do believe we have a scavenger hunt to win.”

17\. ~~Go trolley surfing from one end of the supermarket car park to the other.~~  

Harry turns their trolley around and wheels it back to its park with Louis still in it, he stands on the bar that joins the wheels and rides, pushing them along, sending the cooling breeze through them. Louis sits back and smiles, feeling like he’s flying.

Harry parks up the trolley, Louis lifts himself out and mock salutes to Jordan, then they both hurry off as everyone disperses to follow their respective tasks.

Louis brushes his hair down, before stopping in the light of the supermarket to look at the list, making sure to see Niall and Zayn disappearing into the distance.

Harry is at his side, looking down as well. They’re standing close, and Louis can feel his warmth. He’s not even reading the list, like his head can’t focus on it, and he really doesn’t mind.

Harry looks up, and it’s torture to be so close and all alone in his space. He is really quite beautiful, and Louis probably shouldn’t be thinking that about someone he barely knows. He shouldn’t. But he is. And a weight of disappointment settles in the pit of his stomach at the thought that after this, things will probably go back to normal. Sure, they’d hang out a few times, maybe text each other, but then it’d be nothing more than smiles shared in the hallway, glances across the coffee shop, bumping into him around campus and making awkward small talk, eventually fading out of memory and moving on with their lives. It’s stupid – and frankly unreasonable – for Louis to be thinking any of that.

Harry smirks when Louis feels like he can breathe again, eyebrows raising smoothly, snapping him out of his daze.

“Feel like going to a party?”

. . .

 **[01:30** **am]**

“One drink at a house party. Sounds simple enough.”

Louis says that with full sarcasm, since they’ve gone down several streets before actually finding a single house party.

“Why didn’t we go to the student villages first?” Harry asks as they approach the house with dim coloured lights, loud music and bodies spilling out of the front door with red cups and silly party hats. “Hi!” he shouts cheerily.

“Hey!” the drunken students hanging by the front door chorus back to them.

“Do you know them?” Louis asks, leaning into Harry's shoulder.

Harry shakes his head. “Not a clue. Parties are usually quite welcoming so," he shrugs, embracing a sloppy hug from a boy covered in spray-on glitter at the door.

“Oh,” Louis says when people start hugging him too. “Hello,”

They finally get let go and actually step into the house, filled with people and blasting electro music, the bass shaking Louis' chest and vibrating him down to his core. It's overwhelming, is what it is, and Louis feels breathless, glancing around the strange house with students talking loudly over the music in different groups, on the couches in the lounge, standing on any spare gap on the floors, hanging by the fridge in the kitchen and sitting on the counter tops. Harry must have felt him tense up a little because his fingers find Louis' and he laces them together, sending a jolt to shoot up Louis' spine.

“Don’t want to lose you in the crowd.” Harry says, leaning in close so that Louis will hear him over the music.

“Okay.”

He lets Harry lead him through the sea of bodies, his hand locked in a firm grip as they get to the drinks table.

“Should we ask someone or…”

Harry shakes his head. “I’m sure these people are great but let's not take drinks from strangers, to be on the safe side."

“Right.”

“Any special requests?”

“Surprise me.”

Harry raises his eyebrows smoothly, smirking, eyes glinting in the spanning lights. He grabs two shot glasses and surveys the bottles that are out before grabbing the tequila, pouring it into their glasses and handing one to Louis.

They’re about to drink when Louis remembers the camera. “Oh, wait.” He gets the camera out of the bag and turns it onto them. “Ready?”

Harry nods happily and they swallow down their shot.

18\. ~~Get into a house party and have one drink.~~

Louis screws up his face at the sharp taste. “That’s disgusting,” he groans, putting the camera back into his bag.

Harry coughs a couple times, choking a laugh. “Absolutely. Another?”

Louis grins. “Course.”

They do another round of shots and then they down some fruit juice, he drags Harry out of the party before they can do anymore, he can feel the music and alcohol pulsing through him, buzzing beneath his skin and electrifying his hand in Harry's grip. He knows he isn’t quite drunk, but he feels a bit like he’s floating and it’s just making him smile wider than he knew possible.

Harry keeps their hands entangled as they step back out onto the street, laughing for no apparent reason and waving emotional goodbyes to people they just met until the house fades into nothing and they’re nearing the university again, a silly, giggling mess, clinging to each other and slightly sticky and warm from the body heat of each other and everyone. Louis is on a high.

“Run!” Harry suddenly whispers for no apparent reason and he pulls him into a run towards campus. "Come on, Louis. We have to hide!"

Louis doesn’t know why they’re running, but he keeps up with pace anyway, letting out choked laughter as Harry drags him along the empty campus, and behind a bush. He crouches down on the grass, pulling Louis down to his level.

“Why are we hiding?” Louis whispers through his muffled giggles.

Harry holds a finger in front of his mouth and gestures towards the path. Louis straightens up slightly, peaking through the shrubbery to see two figures approaching, as they get closer he recognizes them. Niall and Zayn.

He bursts out into laughter again, looking strangely at Harry who is also stuttering laughs. "Why is this funny?" he mouths, and Harry just shrugs.

Harry moves closer and clasps his hand over Louis’ mouth, his own body shuddering with silent laughter. Louis covers Harry's hand with his own, pressing his fingers closer to his lips to suppress the giggles that would very well give away their position. And they can’t have that. His cheeks are turning pink, and there are only small peaks of light coming through the bush but it’s enough for Louis to see Harry is struggling to stop his own amusement as well.

Louis shifts to be on his knees and the shadows of Zayn and Niall pass them, a conversation rising and falling in volume. Not enough for Louis to catch the topic, not that he’s even paying attention as he tries to stop the laughter threatening to burst out of him, his chest fucking aches and his eyes are watering and it's one of the best feelings as he holds Harry there, feeling like fucking bliss and everything, his chest going loose and happy and nervous.

They take a few deep breaths as the boys disappear off into the distance towards the library, and Harry tentatively lets his hand fall from Louis’ lips, just a gentle brush of fingertips and it sends something warm to unfurl in Louis’ stomach, and Louis keeps his hand on top of Harry's as he lowers his arm, intertwining their fingers together slowly. He thinks his lungs should have relaxed by now, but he still feels like he can’t breathe.

There’s a beat of silence where everything feels strangely still. Strange for them, anyway. Louis can definitely hear his own heart beat, and maybe Harry’s as well. He can feel the heat pouring off of Harry's body, the electricity in the air sending a spark of something to shoot through him. He can’t believe what this night has turned out to be.

He glances over at Harry and that just does it. It bubbles in his throat again, inconvenient really, he snorts out laughter and Harry follows in suit, bursting out in giggles of choked whimpering noises and getting to his feet, pulling Louis up with him by their locked hand, so fucking pretty it's stupid and Louis feels stupid and better than he has in a long time.

“Why were we hiding from them?” Louis manages to ask as he tries to calm down.

Harry shrugs, chuckling still. “I honestly don’t know,” he wipes his eyes, "I feel so fucking weird."

“You’re wonderful.” Louis feels himself say, doesn’t remember actually making the conscious decision to say that, slipping through his lips as easily as breathing.

Harry's eyes drift to him, serene, slow blinking, and he smiles warmly.

Louis coughs, forced. "Um. Give me a number, Harold."

"Right, twenty..." he drags the number out, "...four."

Louis lets go of his hand and scans over the list, feeling a brilliant buzz beneath his skin. “Take a photo with an animal. Well, this shouldn’t be too hard.”

“Where are we supposed to find an animal in the middle of the night?”

“Doesn’t have to be domestic, there’s always birds and shit. Look, there's a pigeon right there.”

“Oh I love pigeons!”

Louis laughs. “Of course you do.”

He gives Harry the camera and Harry carefully and slowly approaches the bird as it hops down the footpath. Are pigeons usually out this late? Louis wonders about that as he watches Harry –– what do baby pigeons look like? He doesn’t think he's ever seen one. Harry lies down on the path and holds the camera out, trying to get a good angle of him and the bird; it hops away just before the camera flashes.

“No!” Harry pouts and gets back to his feet, snapping several terrible photos and hoping at least one of them will do.

Louis helps him look through the blur of selfies. “Oh, look. There it is.”

Harry examines the photo. It’s a little grainy, but the bird is clearly in there with him so he smiles disappointedly. “It’ll do.”

24\. ~~Take a photo with an animal.~~

Harry lets him pick the next number as he tucks the camera away in their bag, slowly accumulating with random items, and then glances over the list.

“Okay, you have to pose with Professor Webster’s car in the staff parking garage.”

“Would it even still be here after hours?”

“Yeah, he carpools with his wife sometimes, would’ve left it for this anyway, Liam is his favourite student.” Harry notices Louis’ questioning look, “I help out at the administration office, I hear things.”

“Ah.”

“So, shall we?” Harry holds out his hand.

Louis takes it happily, unquestioningly, and they make their way up to the staff car park.

Of course, _of course_ his car is parked at the very top of the parking garage, he's ready to be pissed at Liam for that, complaining about his legs, when Harry offers him a piggy-back ride, and Louis wraps his arms around Harry's neck from behind and Harry fucking jogs with him on his back, holding his legs – Louis does ask if Harry wants to put him down, but Harry just says, "no way, you're light as a feather," and Louis definitely doesn’t believe him but leans against the back of his neck anyway. He's on his feet, on the top of the parking garage, looking out over the city, the brilliant lights against the dark sky, seems too bright for a time when everyone should be sleeping, too bright and too dark and he’s strangely falling in love with it all.

He throws Harry the camera and sits himself up on the bonnet, lying mock-seductively with his hand propping up his head.

Harry smirks and snaps a photo, but not before pulling out his phone and taking one on there as well.

30\. ~~Pose with Professor Webster's car in the staff parking garage~~.

“ _Hey_ ,” Louis says, grinning, standing up again.

Harry chuckles, sliding his phone back into the pocket of his jeans. “Saving that for later.”

“Christ, you’re something else.”

“That’s a compliment, yeah?”

“Maybe. I’ll tell you later.”

"You love me."

Louis rolls his eyes, inhaling a heavy breath of the brisk air, slipping his hand back into Harry's grasp. He can’t help but feel a little bit like he’s on top of the world.

. . .

The next couple of hours pass by way too fast, Louis wishes he could press pause when he sees a lighter shade of blue creep up slowly in the sky.

They had found themselves in a bar that had just been renovated, Harry working his charm on the barkeep to let them use all of the old curtains "for crafting purposes,” sitting on brand new tiles in the back room and cutting up fabric in a _found materials_ task, making 'Coachella worthy' outfits or –– "blatant cultural appropriation" according to Harry, "I wish I could say you're exaggerating, but I can't," Louis says as he fits a thrown together piece of fabric around Harry's shoulders –– they blasted out a phenomenal _Don’t Go Breaking My Heart_ karaoke, the wolf-whistles from the audience a sort of validation that they needed to get those outfits off straight away.

15\. ~~Using found materials, make a Coachella worthy outfit and then sing karaoke.~~

They end up spending more time than intended at that bar, Harry's hands on his hips from behind and hooking his fingers in his belt loops as they weave through the tightly packed crowd, dark low lit lights and bodies and Harry's warm breath on the nape of his neck, his chest against Louis' shoulder blades, Louis struggling to suppress a shiver.

They get to the bar, munching on a bowl of chips, and Harry easily knocks off one of the tasks when he just _looks_ at a guy across from them, he sends him a wink as he picks up the drink and gives it to Louis once they've relocated to a booth, Louis asking “how do you even do that,” and Harry bites on his bottom lip before replying: “Magic.”

29\. ~~Get someone to buy you a drink at the bar.~~

They're hanging around the door when Louis convinces a loud, generically handsome, and definitely _straight_ Irish man to give him a kiss if he beats him in a game of darts, Harry squeezes his hip before he starts, whispers "you’ve got this,” into his ear and Louis wants to kiss him instead, but he doesn’t. The game is over quickly, Louis swears he wasn't playing that well just to impress Harry, and he gets a drunken kiss on the lips that tastes like whiskey.

19\. ~~Kiss an Irish person.~~

Harry is all over him after that, and Louis refuses to believe that the two of them are connected, he's grabbing both of his hands and pulling him down to another bar, so many bars, a different vibe but still fun. They bump into Nick and his team member – _Greg,_ he learns. They smell like vodka and their eyes are wide and glowing, talking loud and absurd, smiling, and Louis smiles too. There's a bachelorette party happening in one corner of the bar, drunk women call them over and Harry effortlessly flirts with them, "for the hell of it," he later tells Louis with a sheepish grin, he pulls out the sharpie and writes his name on one of the girls arms to complete a task, curling a hand around Louis' waist, insisting they do another one while they're here. And when Louis reads it, he's sure Liam is going to hell.

"Hey," Louis leans onto the bar, turning his attention to a pretty boy sitting with a group of friends, he settles a drink down and the boys face lights up, then, with a weighted sigh, Louis adds: "it's from God."

The boy shoots him a puzzled look through slightly dazed eyes. "What?"

"Your beer, it's... it's from God." Louis says, pressing his lips together.

There's a beat, looking at the boys blank stare, and then without warning, he and Harry both abruptly burst out with laughter. He gives the boy a kiss on the cheek and tells him thank you. Harry pulls him unsteadily against him, he says he needs to get the list out but they get some orange juice instead, Louis has to detach himself from Harry to use the bathroom, and returns to find him completing one of those placemat mazes, sticking his tongue out in concentration. Louis’ brain goes to static, forgetting what he's doing, forgetting that when he woke the morning earlier he didn’t have any idea that this boy existed, the thought honestly shakes him, and Harry’s face lights up when he see’s him, it's such a nice feeling.

27\. ~~Sign your name on a strangers arm with the sharpie provided.~~

8\. ~~Give a stranger a beer and say it's from God.~~

. . .

Pretending not to have his wallet results in two things, one, they get kicked out of the bar, and two, they get a selfie with a police officer. Worked out well for everyone, in Louis' opinion.

12\. ~~Get kicked out of somewhere.~~

11\. ~~Take a selfie with a police officer.~~  

. . .

**[04:42am]**

"Quick, take the photo!" Harry whispers as he poses hurriedly, beautifully, on someone's motorcycle outside the bar.

13\. ~~Pose on a strangers motorcycle.~~

Louis nods at Harry when he done, and he pulls Harry down the street, stopping at a park and they duck under the railings of the red and yellow roundabout, sitting cross legged in the middle, facing each other, knee's touching, and Louis pulls out their list, ink stained, covered in fold marks and creases, Harry leans back on his hands.

"Um." Louis gulps, reading the next one on the list. "So."

"So?"

"So. Skinny dipping."

Harry laughs, soft, causing his chest to shake. "S'pose I'm not surprised, it was bound to happen."

"Right." Louis says, his throat dry. "Do you want to go back to the uni pool?"

Harry scrunches his face. "Everyone will be going there though, c'mon, I've got an idea," he takes Louis' hand, pulling him up and they run through the park, down the street, into a motel, the pink 'vacant' neon sign flashing, light green wood, closed curtains, closed doors and a fenced off pool down the back.

"Ah," Louis says, "but motel pools are for customers only, and they're usually locked up."

Harry quirks an eyebrow. "Such a pretty boy, but succumbing so quickly to defeat."

"Wise words."

"I know. I should have been a poet."

Louis rolls his eyes and Harry drags him towards the fencing, pulling over one of the old benches, standing on it and climbing over.

Louis follows Harry, landing on sandy beige paving that frames the pool, a sign to his left about pool safety, and Louis wants to laugh at the irony because he's going to be naked and in a pool with naked Harry and he is going to die. The water is lit up blue, reflecting the neon lights of the motel, a light mist settling around the far edges from the early morning fog, ripples sending smoothly over the blue tiles at the bottom, and Harry is to his left, already unbuttoning his shirt, and yes, Louis is definitely going to die.

He's setting the bag down on a lounger next to the pool, kicking off his shoes, slipping off his hoodie and t-shirt when he sees Harry – shirtless Harry – start to unbutton his jeans. He starts to think of something to text to his family, a way of saying his final goodbyes, because holy fuck this boy will be the death of him, and Louis is aware he is being dramatic as hell but rational thoughts seem to dissipate into thin air when Harry peels his jeans down to his ankles, and then kicks them aside. He's just standing there in his small black briefs, and Louis feels like he can't catch his breath, feels a blazing, inexplicable heat shoot straight down – _god, stop looking._

Harry turns to look at Louis as he's stripping off his own jeans, and with the last remaining piece of fabric he suddenly doesn’t remember how to breathe at all, and he tilts his head at the water because looking at Harry is terrible for his health, he's decided.

"I won't look, if you don’t want me to," Harry says, in his stupid, gentle, sexy voice. It's instantly relieving, and Louis feels his wound up chest loosen.

"No, that’s not– that's okay." Louis says. "This is just, like, weird, cause we kind of just met and I already feel so comfortable around you, I probably shouldn’t right? But I do, and the prospect of getting naked while you're right there doesn’t scare me as much as I thought it would."

Harry's smile warms. "I know what you mean, it is weird but I feel like I've known you for ages, and that’s like –– what the fuck? Right? But _shit_ this has been the most incredible night, I'm going to give Liam a ten minute long hug when we get back."

Louis laughs this time, his heart settling, chest warming. "Yeah, I might get in on that too. This has been... this has been really good."

"Yeah," Harry looks at him, and then at the water, his smile unyielding. "Yeah, it has."

They stand there for a few more seconds, in the quiet dark, illuminated by the soft blue glow of the pool lights, and everything floods with ease and suddenly all Louis feels is the sure buzz prickling at his chest, excitement, thrill, Harry.

"Come on, then, Harold, let's take over the world, one skinny dip at a time," and Harry dips his head back and laughs, both ridding themselves of their last item of clothing, and Harry takes his hand and Louis doesn’t look below the waist and they run and jump into the water, submerging themselves, cool water washing over hot skin, losing Harry's grip when they go under but seeing him instantly when they resurface, hair slicked back.

"Fuck," Louis says, laughing, "it's fuckin' cold."

"It's nice. It's sort of, like, refreshing?"

Louis swims closer to Harry, dives under and resurfaces right in front of his face and Harry grins and leans in and kisses him on the nose and Louis spends a good few moments wondering how Harry manages to make him _feel_ so much, all in one night – which isn't even over yet.

"M' freezing my dick off," Louis says instead, grinning, and pushes off of Harry's shoulder towards the steps, stepping out of the pool and _acutely fucking aware_ of Harry's gaze burning into him the entire time it takes for him to get to his clothes, probably because he doesn’t hear movement in the water until after he's pulled on his pants, grinning to himself as Harry nears him and gets dressed as well. He doesn’t bother to catch a peek; naked Harry is something he fully intends on being in the presence of again. Hopefully, in the not too distant future.

22\. ~~Go skinny dipping.~~

. . .

**[05:26am]**

"Whoa. I think we're on the last one." Louis says, looking at the list, his hair cold and dripping down his neck.

Harry pushes some damp hair out of his face to look at Louis, it's sodden and sticking to the nape of his neck, soaking through the fabric of his shirt enough for Louis to see all of the outlines of Harry's muscles where the fabric is clinging to his skin. They're both wearing damp clothes since they didn’t exactly have anything to dry themselves off with, the cold morning air freezing against their skin as they walk down the street, and Louis thinks he's going numb but he can't find a single reason to complain.

"Awesome. Can't wait to bury myself in my bed," Harry says, "kind of sad it's gonna be over though, is that weird?"

"Not weird. I feel the same."

"I mean, we could always... never mind."

Louis looks at him, just as the streetlights flicker off above them. "No, what? What were you going to say?"

"Just, if you wanted to, we could always hang out again after?"

Louis doesn’t believe he's real. "You know you don’t have to ask me that, I was planning on hanging out with you afterwards."

"Yeah? Okay. That’s good." Harry says, looking away to conceal a smile but Louis see's it anyway.

"You're an idiot." Louis says fondly.

"But I'm _your_ idiot."

"Yeah," Louis breathes, "yeah." He smiles to himself, feeling his cheeks hurt from a long night of smiling too wide and laughing too much, so much that his stomach muscles ache, he looks at Harry, looks at him against the horizon where a sort of peachy pink is starting to fade around the rim, he tangles his fingers in Harry's and Harry swings their hands and smiles back at him.

They walk past uni again, breathing in the morning air, soaking into their lungs as the orange edge of the world lights up the dark slowly, a lighter shade of blue fading into the sky in a dull morning haze. They can't see the quad from where they are but it doesn’t look as though anyone has finished yet.

They stop below the overpass, where tall concrete beams stand below it, quiet streets on either side of them, the world is still waking up, standing on top of where tufts of grass peak through the neglected and cracked bits of concrete paving, under skies streaked in pinks and dark hazy blues.

He lets go of Harry to take the bag off and look through its contents, finding the sharpie pen right at the bottom. He hands it to Harry who pops the cap, looking back at him.

"Just our numbers?"

Louis nods, and Harry writes his next to some crude graffiti, inside a love heart.

Louis rolls his eyes. "You're going to get a bunch of weirdo's calling you if you do that."

"That’s the idea."

Louis pushes him playfully, looking at his face against the silvery pink sky, and takes the pen, writing his own number in a different spot, next to a red and black spray painting of some kind of demon creature, and taking a photo.

28\. ~~Write your numbers on the concrete beams beneath the overpass.~~

"Now _that_ is fitting."

Louis cocks at eyebrow dismissively, then looks past him. "Hey, look,"

He holds onto Harrys shoulders and turns him around, the entire front of his body pressed against Harrys but moving away seems crazy right now, and even so, he doesn’t think he remembers to breathe as he holds Harry there, facing the horizon past the buildings, a bright break of orange sending streaks across the sky, breaking and splitting the morning haze and soft pink clouds, curving, growing, fading in the sky so smoothly Louis barely catches the change in colours.

"I love the sunrise," Louis says, close to Harrys ear and he swears Harry shivers, his eyes fall to him, and Harry is still looking at the sky, turning orange and blue before his eyes.

“ _So do I_ ,” Harry says, looking back at him, grinning, his face inches away, “God we have so much in common,”

Louis laughs, a sort of shaky breath, the weight of everything he’s feeling filling his chest so immensely, so inexplicably, flooding all of the spaces inside of him he didn’t know were there, and Harry twists around completely, facing him, framed by the sunrise, fucking beautiful, Louis doesn’t know how he’s survived a whole night in his presence, he’s looking at him now and its like looking at everything he’s been missing, all encompassed in curls and green eyes and dimples.

“Seriously,” Louis says, feeling short of breath, “where have you _been?_ ”

Harry smiles, softer than he has since Louis’ known him – it’s dizzying. He reaches forward and touches his hand to Louis’ chest, leaving it there, and Louis has to will himself to breathe properly, shivering when Harrys hand slides up to wrap around the curve between his neck and his shoulder. Louis doesn’t even make the conscious decision, just feel himself moving, his hands reaching forward to curl around Harry’s waist, ghosting over slightly dampened clothes, settling onto him.

_Kiss him, kiss him, kiss him._

It's Harry who kisses him instead. He leans in impossibly slow, his other hand cupping the side of Louis’ face, holding him steady as he closes the remaining gap of space between them.

Their lips brush together, so gentle it’s electrifying, Louis’ sure his legs will give out but Harry just holds him firmer, pressing his mouth against him with more force and smirking at the breathless gasp Louis lets slip his lips. He opens his mouth, allowing Harry in further, finding his hand cradling the back of Harrys head, feeling Harry’s tongue against his own, tilting his head to the side to accommodate better, Harrys nose pressing against his cheek.

He tries to think, but everything falls away and he kisses Harry, his mouth tasting sweet and warm. Louis feels like he’s drunk but it’s been _at least_ an hour since the last drop of alcohol touched his lips, and Harry finds his way to the depths of Louis’ chest.

Whether it’s the lack of sleep and or the overwhelming experience that this night has been, Louis feels like he’s found _something_ , he’s got something here, and he feels it in the giddiness bubbling in his throat, his mouth breaking into a smile against Harrys, and Harry mimic’s him when Louis starts to giggle but still says: “shh Lou, we’re having a moment,” and Louis lets his chest calm down as much as he can, lets Harry tug him closer.

Louis doesn’t even know how long they stand there, his hands finding their way to Harry’s shoulders, his forearms, the small of his back, his hips, and everywhere. Their lips pressing together, searing heat, gentle and feather-like at times, placing kisses to Harry’s jawline, his throat, the curve of his neck, his cheeks. Anywhere he thinks needs to be kissed.

“Um,” Harry says when they finally pull apart, barely pull apart before he’s leaning back in again, touching their lips when he speaks, “time sensitive situation,” he says, barely audible.

Louis grins, kisses him back. “I can’t seem to bring myself to care.”

“I’m really,” another kiss, “not looking forward to doing Zayn’s laundry.”

Louis laughs, throaty, and brings him in for another kiss before stepping back completely, Harry makes a weak noise of protest at his sudden part while Louis picks up the bag and their paper with the list on it.

“Shit.” Louis says, looking down at the list.

“What?”

“We still have the first task to finish.”

“What?”

Louis almost wants to laugh. “Yeah. Number one. We must have just assumed we had already done it.”

Harry does laugh, brushing his hair back, cheeks flushed. “That’s hilarious. What is it? Something time consuming I bet.”

Louis grins, shakes his head. “We have to find a book in the library specific to us apparently– fucking _Be Bold with Bananas._ Bloody hell, Liam.”

“He clearly knows us too well.”

Louis snorts and stuffs the list back into the bag, taking Harrys hand and breaking into a run back towards campus, sending the world and wind behind them.

“Just so you know,” Harry says, breathing a little heavy as he runs next to him, “I don’t regret kissing you for that long, in fact I fully intend to kiss you a lot more when this is all over.”

Louis smiles, letting the wind whip his hair out of his face. “Just so you know, I fully intend on holding you to that.”

They get back to campus, quickly hurrying across the cobblestones they were on a few hours ago, the sky growing lighter quickly, and he’s panting as he pushes the door open to the library, they let go to split up and find the book, and Harry locates it at the top of a bookshelf buried under a multitude of other cooking books.

“Lou!” he shouts, getting a chorus of disgruntled students who probably pulled all-nighters shushing him, he apologizes hastily and then sprints over to Louis a few aisles away, handing him the book. “I swear Liam is sabotaging us.”

Louis smirks and holds the book up in front of his face while Harry takes the picture.

1. ~~Locate your designated book in the campus library! _Be Bold With Bananas_ by The Banana Control Board.~~ 

“Okay, _now_ we’re done,”

Harry glances out the window. “We’ve got to hurry, I think I just saw someone go past,”

“Fuck,” Louis sets the book down, Harry taking hold of him again as they hurry out of the library trying hard not to disturb anyone else.

Of course they see Niall and Zayn when they exit, standing across the footpath, the quad directly in front of them. They can see Liam sitting on a seat down the far end where they started, head down, writing something, a red taped line as their finish line.

There's a short moment of frozen time where they simply pause, staring at each other, and then the sprint race commences – gripping onto Harry, just as Niall holds onto Zayn, smiles and laughter and feet pushing off of green grass, damp with morning dew, running faster than Louis knew he had in him, faster than he knew Harry could go and wow, that’s some pride right there – he's actually so proud of Harry. Wow. Weird.

His chest is heaving as Liam gets closer, his head snapping up at the sound of them approaching, looking alarmed at the sight of them running towards him, tripping on the grass and their own feet and each other and stumbling, collapsing over the finish line in an exhausted, laughing heap.

Louis feels the muscles in his stomach aching from running and laughter and he’s got an arm sprawled out over Harry, Niall pressed half on his shoulder, Zayn next to him, shuddering bodies filling with bliss and its such a strange feeling, such a good feeling.

Liam is even laughing as he writes their names down on his board. “I’ll give you all runners up prizes, good job,”

“Wait – runners up?”

Liam nods. “Yeah, Perrie and Jade finished a few minutes ago, went to go sleep while I look over their photos.”

Louis doesn’t even feel disappointed, just laughs some more, softly to himself.

“Well, it was worth it, I had a fuckin’ blast, thanks Liam.” Niall says propping himself up on his elbows,

“Same.” Zayn says, smiling at Niall. “Didn’t think I was actually going to enjoy not sleeping as much as I did,”

“Right, lads, I’m with you there.” Louis agrees, propping himself up as well.

Liam is beaming. “I told you guys you’d love it! See, a little participation in these things can go a long way,”

“Okay, Li. Simmer down.”

Niall looks at the three of them still sprawled out on the grass. “So, these bets…”

“We could just forget about them?”

Niall exhales a heavy sigh of relief, brushing a bit of grass off of Zayn’s leather jacket. “Thank god. Just the thought of cleaning that room exhausts me,”

“You will be cleaning it eventually,” Liam chimes in.

Niall points at Liam. “Hey, none of that, I’m in a weird sleep deprived state and I will probably either kill you or hug you.”

“How about you boys go and get some rest, I’ll have a proper winners list out tomorrow, and there'll be a get together for everyone, I'll text you guys the details. But yeah, you should sleep.”

Zayn nods, shifting to get to his feet. “Sleep, yeah. Sleep sounds good.”

Niall reaches his arms out and Zayn pulls him up, and Louis doesn’t move for some reason, doesn’t want to when he see’s Harry with his hands behind his head, looking up at the sky, cloudless and tinged with soft pastel hues.

“You guys coming?” Niall asks.

“Be there in a second,” he tells them, and keeps looking at Harry, soft glow and green grass, hears Niall and Zayn say something to Liam as they leave, he wonders what Harrys thinking about. “Hey, so I was thinking I’d like to take you out,”

Harry seems to snap out of a daze, and his eyes go to Louis, he smiles. “Yeah? When?”

“Well our sleep schedules will probably be all messed up so I’ll give it a couple days, I’ll even um… like, make a proper thing out of it? I’ll pick you up outside your dorm and take you somewhere lovely, I’ll even get Niall to kip it with a mate afterwards so we can watch a movie or something,”

“Or something,”

“Yeah,” Louis says, blushing, “so, do you… want to?”

“Louis,” Harry says, pushing himself up on his arm, leaning over Louis, his necklace dangling. “Louis, you’re literally so wonderful,”

“You’re only saying that because I helped you win a sick runners up prize,”

“Well yes of course that’s the only reason.” Harry smirks, leaning down and kissing him.

“Whoa!” Liam says from his seat behind them, and Louis remembers he’s still there, “when did this happen?”

Harry glances up at Liam. “Bout half an hour ago?”

“Holy shit, I’m to thank for this, you do realize. You guys owe me, like, forever.”

Louis laughs, and finally pushes himself up from the grass, his outstretched hand pulling Harry up too. While Liam deals with another group finishing up, comprised of people he doesn’t know, they head off towards the dorm building, hands tangled, the world in a bleak light as the sun makes its full appearance and Louis misses the night already.

They walk up to Louis’ floor, and Louis feels content in knowing that Harry is living only two floors above him for the next three years, close, always close. Their room is empty when they enter, Louis half-expecting Niall to be in there snoring, but also happy that he isn’t, knowing the boy probably coerced Zayn into buying him breakfast.

“So. We should, um. Numbers– we should exchange numbers.” Harry says.

“Right. Yeah. Um.” He gives Harry his phone, inputting his number into Harry's phone under ‘ _Louis Tomlinson AKA ruler of the universe’_ and Harry rolls his eyes but keeps it like that anyway.

Harry glances around. “Nice room, sporting the organized clutter trend, right? I’m guessing the side with the piles of books belongs to you?” he says with a chuckle, and Louis suddenly feels a great need to clean the room top to bottom, till it’s spotless.

“You’d be right,” Louis says, smiling softly, suddenly aware of everything, aware of how ruffled his hair must be looking, aware of the awkward stance he’s probably standing in, aware of his hand locked with Harry’s, which he drops promptly, lest Harry somehow feel his racing pulse, and this causes Harry to look at him.

He tilts his head. “Lou, we can like, slow it down if you want? We’ve had this crazy night and I get it if you need a few days to think,”

Louis swallows. “Do _you_ need a few days?”

Harry presses his lips together, curving on one side. “Not really, like, I completely respect the idea of making well thought-out decisions and having a focus – or, a _plan_ I guess. I’ve just never felt like I needed to do that. If I have something, and I know its good, then I just let myself enjoy it, let myself spend time with people and enjoy their presence because you never know how much of it you have left y’know? I mean, it only took me a couple hours to work out that your presence in my life was going to be important, and it is, and I intend to keep it that way, and I’ll go at whatever pace you’re comfortable with.”

Louis looks at him, looks at him with a kind of adoration he didn’t know he possessed, and he wraps his arms around Harry’s neck, and pulls him in and kisses him, grinning like a maniac because wow, who is Harry Styles? How does he exist in the same universe? He’s only known him one night and he already knows how completely idiotic this boy is, and how silly, and smart, and sweet, and unbelievably kind, and so ridiculously beautiful. He’s an unfair collection of atoms in Louis’ opinion, unfair, and yet quite possibly the best thing that’s ever happened to him.

“You have to warn me when you do that,” Harry says when they pull apart, resting their foreheads together, “I can’t breathe when I’m around you, you’re so… _you._ ” Louis grins, curling his hands around Harry’s neck and the back of his head, tangling in his hair, Harry’s hands on the small of his back, holding him close. “You’re going to kill me,” Harry says so quietly Louis is almost breathing too loudly to hear him.

“Well I sure hope not,” Louis says, pulling back a little to look at him, “then you’d miss the awesome date I’ve been internally planning,”

Harry smirks, the corners of his eyes crinkling. “I better be careful then,” he says and presses a kiss to Louis’ temple. ”I should let you sleep, you need to be well-rested for me to do a proper job of wooing you when you wake,”

Louis chuckles. “Was that not what you’ve been doing for the past nine or something hours? Because I’ve been feeling very wooed.”

“Guess I’m just naturally charming.”

“And modest.”

“The most modest,”

Louis makes a show of rolling his eyes, a big goofy grin on his face, and Harry kisses him again, then lets him go, and walks towards the door.

“I’m actually not tired,” Louis blurts out as Harry is twisting the doorknob, insistent desperation embarrassingly clear in his voice.

Harry stares at him, warm, and Louis can feel that same warmth wash over him. “Me either.”

Louis sighs, happy, content, and he takes Harrys outstretched hand, joining him out the door. “So… breakfast?”

Harry nods happily. “Yeah. Breakfast.”

**Author's Note:**

> thanks for reading! hope you enjoyed it :)


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